Oil extracting device



Aug. 25, 1931. A. sTRANDELL K OIL EXTRACTING DEVICE Filed March 17, 1930 :Bn-l.

INVENTOR.

hrm/r? S f77/)MDE L 1 l M e HIS ATTORNEY.

i Patented Auge/25,1931

PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES ARTHUR STRANDELL, F TALLINN. ESTONIA OIL EXTRACTIN G DEVIE Application tiled Harch 17, 1930. Serial No. 436.436.

Another object is to provide a device in which a heatingelement is disposed so that it can raise the temperature in the ground to an extent to cause a rising of oil in its liquid or in a gaseous state to a higher level and ultimately to the surface of the ground.

- Another object is to provide a transforming-apparatus by which oil from its crude state in the ground; is transformed into a state in which it will rise to thesurface of the ground. Y

Another object is to provide a transforming apparatus by which oil in one state is prevented from entering any section of the apparatus in which oil in another state is maintained.

Another object is to provide' a transforming apparatus designed so that any oil in an unsuitable state or condition cannot reach or contact with the heating element of the apparatus. Y

Another object is to provide means by which undesirable matter can be drained from certain compartments. n

Another object is to provide means whereby condensed oil is prevented from returning to the heating elements or below a certain predetermined level after it once has been 35 lifted from the point below the heating element of the whole apparatus.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawings, in

Fig. 1 is a general vertical midsectional view of a perforated well casing in surrounded ground, the perforated section of the casing being preferably -within the oil-bearing strata', a heating element being inserted within the inner` compartment of the partitioned and` sectioned lower end of a structure, the whole arrangement being designed to result in an operation for extractperforations 2 to the level within theoil ing oil from the ground according to this in- 'vention.

Fig. 2 is a fra mentary vertical midsectional view of a slightly modified form of in-` terconnectionbetween the principal tubing 55' y members of the structure by which oil may be extracted from the ground according to this invention. y

As illustrated in the drawings, the' casing 1 is inserted intorthe ground to brin the v60 aring strata' at 3, the lower end of the casing and therewith the strata below the oil-bearing strata being plugged off-as indicated at 4.

The inserted oil extracting tubing 5 is 05 y provided with a partitioned ortion at its ,lower end, so that oil from t e oil-bea 4strata may pass between the lower end 6 o the outermost 'partition 7 and the middle orl intermediate partition 8, as indicated by the arrow 9, into the space or compartment 10.

The intermediate partition- 8 is disposed between the outermost partition 7 and the innermost partition 11,- this being'the straight extension or continuationl of the tubing 5, l

with the intermediate partition terminating short before the joining-point of the vinnermost and outermost partitions as indicated at 12, so that any matter disposed in the compartment 10 may eventually pass in the di- $0 rection of the arrow 13 into the compartment 14. i

Inasmuch as this whole device is preferably placed in a well in such a manner that the upper end or termination 12`of the intermedi- .85 ate partition becomes disposed above the oilbearing strata 3 so that the level of the oil in the compartment 10 would remain below this end 12 and thereby normally prevent any oil from entering the compartment 14 90 or furthermore the inside of the innermost partition 11, oil is normally-not expected to enter the compartment 14 nor the centermos't. compartment 28.

A bottom portion'll is provided in the .95 lowe'rmost end of the intermediate partition 8, so that any matter passing into or accumulating in the com artment 14is` deiected the direction of t e arrowi25 into. the compartment 28. 10

downwardly extending stem 18 with the bot-` tom plu 4 of the well which may be accomplished y a lowering of the whole device to this effect.

A heating element principally consisting of the center core 19 and the heating coil 2O serves to heat the oil to a point that gas will be formed to rise from the compartment 10, descending into the compartment 14 by way of the arrow 12, and then rise again into the center compartment 28 by way of the arrow 25, to finally rise through the tubing 5 as indicated at 27, to the surface, where it may be condensed or used in any desired form.

The leads 21 and22, connected to the coil 2O on the core 19, extend upwardly through the well tubings up to the surface from where a suitable current may be applied to the heating element.

The whole heating element is firmly mounted in and supported by the extracting tubing by means of a web or spider-like member 24 to which the rod 23 of the heating ele'- ment is connected.

Any matter brought to a gaseous state is made to rise and pass in the direction of the arrows 29 and 30 through the apertures 31 and 32 to finally escape through the well casing 1, and therefrom at the top end in the direction of the arrow 33.

Whether the` oil is fully evaporated or brought to a gaseous state or volatilized sufficiently to cause a rising of the gaseous or partly gaseous matter to the surface; or the oil is merely heated sufficiently to cause a rising of matter through a suitable changing of the temperature of the oil to a point to result in a bringing of the oil to the surface is rather a matter of choice of the operator and is therefore not detailed here at length.

vMatter at one time or once brought to a gaseous state may, on the other hand, also recondense back to its original oil form, especially in deep wells.

To not let this recondensation interfere with the preferred gas extraction, a bottom or plug 34 is provided between the gas-extracting tubing 5 and the well casing or oilextracting tubing 1. Though small valves 35 are provided in the plug, they are merely to facilitate a lowering of the whole device through the oil-extracting tubing 1 in order that oil, that may have accumulated in a well while not pumped or otherwise exhausted'for some time before the combined gas and oilextracting devicecame into use, can enter the device to allow a lowering of the device to a desired level. brought toits operating position, however, this plug maybe sealed off more tightly by cla or other similar suitable matter.

ny recondensation can .then accumulate in this compartmentbetween the gas extracting tubing 5 and the oil extracting tubing 1 above the plug 34 until this matter rises to a level to make it pass through the conduit 36 into the upper end 5,l of the inner tubing,

to be extracted by a pump or any other apparatus; while the gas which escaped throu h the apertures 31 and 32 asses throu h t e upper end ofthe outer tu ing 1 as in icated at 33.

A second plug 37 is provided in the inner tubing 5 above the apertures 31 whereby the recondensed oil is prevented from getting mixed with the rising gas, the gas continuing to rise-through the compartment 38 formed by the shell 39, which is firmly sealed at 40 -and 41 to the outside of the tubing 5, the compart'ment 38 having communication with the tubing 5 below the plug 37 through the apertures 31 and with the upper part of the outer tubing 1 through the apertures 32.

In the slightly modiedform illustrated in Fig. 2, any rising evaporated matter passes out of the lower portion of the tubing 5f, to above the conical member 42 through the aperture 43; while any recondensation, naturally occurring close to the wall of the tubing 5b more than anywhere else, passes vdownwardly through the apertures 44 in the direction of the arrows 45 to accumulate above the stop or bottom 34h in a similar manner as set forth above with reference to the illustration in Fig. 1.

The evaporated matter, in this case will then pass out of the 'whole structure to the surface of the ground straight upwardly through the tubing 5 through the top end of the structure instead of through the side as referred to with reference to Fig. 1; and the recondensation will, of course, pass through the side connection in this case instead of through the top, as will easilybe -understood without further illustration.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a separating structure adapted to extend from the surface of the ground into a strata containing desired matter, a heating element in said structure adapted to cause matter to evaporate and rise through the structure to the surface of the ground, and a stop in said structure to' retain recondensation in a compartment separate from evaporated and from the original matter.

2. In a device of the class described, aV

As soon as the device isV taining desired matter, a heating elementlin 1 said structure adapted to cause matter to evaporate and rise through the structure to the surfacev of the ground, a stop insaid structure to retaln recondensatlon 1n a compartment separate from evaporated and from tion.

ARTHUR- STRANDELL. 

